Gary Coleman's Parents Drop Bid to Bury Their Son

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 5th 2010 07:52AM

Gary Coleman's parents have abandoned their legal efforts to handle the burial of their estranged son following the confirmation by a Utah attorney that the actor had named an executor in a 1999 will. In an interview with the AP, Sue Coleman called the discovery "disappointing."

"We're not up for a fight," she said. "We just want him finally put away to rest."

The 'Diff'rent Strokes' star died May 28 in Utah from a brain hemorrhage at age 42. He was to be buried this weekend, but the ongoing court fight led to its postponement. Sheila Erickson, a spokesman for Coleman's ex-wife Shannon Price, told RadarOnline.com. "I very much doubt the funeral will be held this weekend. It's highly likely that Gary will be cremated, I believe that is what he wanted."

Frederick Jackman, an attorney for Coleman's parents, said the person named in the will is Dion Mial, a friend and former manager of the former child TV star. The star's parents had been preparing to go to court, but Jackman said that's no longer the case because they had seen a copy of the will naming Mial as its beneficiary.

"The Colemans from the start simply wanted to do what he wanted to have done," Jackman said.

Sue Coleman said she is not aware of any funeral details in the will and she hasn't spoken with Mial in 20 years.

According to TMZ, a mortuary is holding Coleman's remains.

Coleman died after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage that left him in a coma and on life support. The actor was taken to the hospital on May 26, and his condition deteriorated as the days went on. After being on life support for at least a day, the decision was made to remove the actor from the machinery that was keeping him alive.

His parents have said they learned about his hospitalization and death from media reports and they had wanted to reconcile with their son before his death.

"We know that we loved him. We know deep in his heart he loves us," Sue Coleman said Friday. "That's the way it is."

The family is originally from Zion, Ill., a small town about 50 miles north of Chicago near the Wisconsin border.

Price has been under scrutiny since Coleman's death after speculation ignited over whether she, as his ex-wife, had the authority to make medical decisions for the unresponsive actor. Though they have been divorced since August 2008, they continued to be together.

Previously, Janet Frank, spokeswoman for the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, in Provo, Utah, told PEOPLE, "Shannon certainly portrayed herself as his wife to our staff and doctors. We assumed she was telling the truth. We can't comment on specific details in Mr. Coleman's case, but in general, any patient on life support is thoroughly evaluated medically before life support is ended."

The hospital later clarified the matter, noting in a statement that Coleman had signed an Advanced Health Care Directive, which gave Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf.

Regardless of the medical legalities, Coleman's former lawyer, Randy Kester, predicts further controversies over Price's authority. "I don't think anyone is looking at criminal wrongdoing here, but this raises the issue of the appropriateness of her making the decision to take him off life support," Kester told the New York Daily News. "She might have subjectively felt she was still his wife."

The Coleman 911 tape was released to the press. On the tape, Price seems reluctant to help the actor, stating she didn't "want to be traumatized right now" since she had a fever.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tags: Gary Coleman, Shannon Price

Comments

(29)

Saturday 05 June

By gracie

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Gary, I hope your in peace now....What you ex wife parents did is so unthinkable it break my heart....You will always be remeber as a beauiful person...God loves you and so does millinons of your fans, including myself...God Rest your soul...

By mw

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Please stop the feuding and let the man rest in peace.

By lee

cancelling a funeral?? now I've heard it all.. lmao!

By Linne

His parents have a lot of nerve showing up after he's died. Where were they all the years he was ill? Sad...really sad!

By chad

gary coleman put his trust and all his money in the hands of one dion mial.......a micheal jackson wanna be.....dion and his mother HELPED gary go through 18 million in five friggin years.. god dont like ugly, gary got what he asked for.......his parents had nothing to do with his money problems.......remember gary HAD control of 18mil from 1992......in 97 he was broke!

By Donna

Its sad that anyone feels the need, to stay away from their own family. Or abandon them in a time of need. But it happens.
My family was some of the meanest people I have ever met.
I do much better alone.
Mr. Coleman was the same it sounds like. When you're own family uses you,, its time to make a new one.
RIP Mr. Coleman.

By Dave

Hi Donna,

And I thought my family was the meanest, I have been estranged for probably 30 years, and I too am at peace with not being around most of my family. RIP Gary....

By MJO

Why would anyone fight over this is beyond me, especially parents who have been estranged for years!! If the parents wanted to make up with Gary before he died, and really mean it, they ought to be quiet now to make their wish believable.

RIP, Gary!

By Steve

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Homicide by Ex.

Friday 11 June

By Kimmy

I totally believe she is guilty...after listening to the 911 call. And her interview asking fans to mail her cash for the funeral and she now has nothing and doesnt know what to do....UHHHHH GET A JOB! Seems like a very selfish person...yuck

RIP Gary Coleman

By yjlor

His parents regret that they mistreated him. Too late to make up with him now.

By Eric Johnson

Mr. Coleman had drug and alcohol issues,that ate up his trust money ,and his families trust.He was arrested a number of times.Perhaps if his mother had won the lawsuit back when he turned 21 his life would have been a different stroke ,but you can't blame someone for there lack of codependency.It is sad that Coleman never got with a program ,now it is between him and his maker.

By Trisha

LACK of codependancy? Wouldnt that be a GOOD thing? You mean he WAS codependant? Or dependant on alcohol and drugs? Thats sad. Too bad he won that law suit in that case.

By Zero

Yeah, he prob. would've said he was pushed.
I remember a news clip about him working as a parking security guard and he jumped on these filmmakers hood to stop them from leaving because they didn't pay. Ha ha! I just know hes in heaven now finally looking down on people, ha ha!

It's such a shock that Dana Plato's son just shot himself !
He's not dead, he's like Obe One Kanobe !! He's out there saving babies & doing good !! Long live Gary's ghost !

By Gale

His ex didn't want to help the dying man because she had a fever and didn't want to be truamatized? Does anyone else think that's bizarre as hell? The woman does not sound like she has all her marbles. I think her cheese has slid off her cracker.

By CommonSpud

She didn't say she had a fever. She said something like, "I have seizures, and I'm afraid if I look at all that blood, I'll seize."

By sarita

Please people let him rest in peace, he is gone to Heavens now, so just remember the good times when he made us all laugh and we all found him adorable in Different Strokes, bye darling we will miss you.

By terelon

Does anyone know whether the Coleman's(Sue,etc.) were his adoptive parents or biological parents?

By stldel23

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They were his adoptive parents.

By smitty

... his parents should stay out of it. That little guy made lots of money, and they squandered it, never thinking of his future ... family is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it's overrated ...

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